For as much turmoil that happened in the final years of Ben Howland’s stay in Westwood, it’s instructive to point out that he lasted 10 years at UCLA. The two coaches that preceded Howland — Steve Lavin and Jim Harrick — also lasted at least seven years.

There are plenty of reasons to suggest that Alford will be a Bruin for the long-term. 1) UCLA is not a steppingstone job. 2) Alford led New Mexico to four Mountain West titles in six years and 3) Alford has a $10.4 million buyout if he quits or is fired before April 2016. That number gets progressively smaller in the final four years of his contract.